1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to display case doors and more specifically to commercial refrigerator display case doors, such as those used in grocery stores, convenience stores, and other grocery and product display environments.
2. Related Art
Conventional commercial refrigerator doors serve multiple functions. For example, the doors preferably provide a maximum viewing area for customers to view product. The doors also permit customers to open them to select and retrieve desired product from the display. The doors also seal the openings in the display cabinet to minimize the possibility of energy loss, while still preferably providing a low-profile, and a maximum viewing area. The door is preferably sufficiently strong and relatively rigid to withstand the impacts and effects of heavy use, such as any twisting, torquing, and other effects of constant opening and closing. The door also preferably includes a glass unit for providing the viewing area along with a suitable frame for protecting the glass unit from the effects of impact, and for mounting various hardware such as a handle, hinge mechanisms, and a door hold-open. A refrigerator door may also include heater wires for keeping the door frame relatively warm, compared to the cold compartment, to minimize the possibility of condensation forming on the frame.
Conventional refrigerator doors have achieved the appearance of maximum viewing area by providing an all-glass front. For example, the front and rear panels of glass can sandwich all or part of the door frame so that the forward panel is fully exposed, and not covered by any part of the door frame. In this design, the frame is at least partly internal to the glass unit and is covered for esthetic and protection purposes by a plastic shroud or cover. However, the additional components beyond a simple door frame typically add cost and manufacturing time for the door.
Other approaches to an all-glass front door include molding a frame around a glass unit, while leaving the forward glass panel exposed. Molding a door including set up time is also a time-intensive process and requires significant attention to insure proper positioning of the frame prior to molding.